The New York area’s urban planning community issued a striking rebuke to the Cuomo administration over its plans for a new Tappan Zee Bridge last week. In a letter to the state Department of Transportation [PDF], the regional chapter of the American Planning Association, which represents 1,200 professional planners, challenged the Cuomo administration’s claims about the project and urged the immediate restoration of transit infrastructure to plans for the bridge.

Professional planners aren't buying the Cuomo administration's line about preserving the option to build transit on the Tappan Zee Bridge. Photo: Angel Franco/Newsday

In a four-page letter, the APA New York Metro Chapter methodically rebuts the state’s inaccurate and even dishonest claims about the bridge.

Most importantly, the letter rejects the Cuomo administration’s central promise about the new TZB: that it is being designed so as “not to preclude” transit. “We believe a project design so as ‘not to preclude’ transit realistically does have the effect of precluding transit,” the writers state. The Cuomo administration hasn’t given these professional planners sufficient reason to believe that the details of transit accommodation are being considered. The state’s only answer to the ever-growing coalition of local officials who are demanding transit — that it can be added later — apparently earns a grade of incomplete.

That isn’t the only weak point that the APA identifies. The Cuomo administration, for example, claims that it cannot afford to build transit. Its projections of the cost of a bus rapid transit system, however, are two to five times higher than what the state had estimated just two years before. “We believe the costs associated with the BRT option appear to be inflated in the DEIS, possibly skewing the comparative analysis,” reads the letter. “The assumed costs per mile seem significantly higher than the industry standard for constructing BRT systems.” They call for an itemized breakdown of transit costs from the state.

Similarly, the state’s draft environmental impact statement asserts that the new Tappan Zee Bridge, which will double the width of the bridge yet dedicate no space to transit, meets the requirements of the state’s smart growth law.

Not so, say the professional planners: “The DEIS claims that the project is consistent with the New York State Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act. However, the project is inconsistent with at least 2 of the 10 criteria.” The letter states that the new bridge will induce more driving, something the state’s analysis denies.

“Transit routes are more than just a transportation link,” they write. “A new transit system along the entire I-287 corridor would bring new opportunities to re-think land development in underutilized areas or struggling downtowns.”

Only when forced to—this is about who’s in charge, not what’s good for his constituents.

I didn’t think I’d be so soon disappointed with Cuomo, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s Republican Lite. He governs like the 1%er he is.

http://profiles.google.com/subtle116 dave “paco” abraham

Governor or not, I don’t put much stock in Cuomo’s ideas and no longer care if or when he’ll admit the transit free Tappan Zee is a dud. What I do care about is knowing how we can stop the non-transit option from moving forward. If three county executives, state senators from both sides of the aisle, the Hudson Valley’s largest cities and smaller municipalities, and now the APA New York Metro Chapter isn’t enough to bring back transit… then what is? Do the advocates need to slash his tires already or what. Seriously?!

Anonymous

The Metro APA chapter doesn’t stick their necks out too often. Clearly, this is a truly awful bridge plan.

I’m still unclear as to why a new bridge is even needed. It is rated “functionally obsolete,” NOT “structurally deficient”. Why not shrink the number of lanes by putting BRT on the existing bridge, and use the money to restore the Rockland rail lines?

Ben from Bed Stuy

My family lives in Nyack and they are disgusted. I’m in Brooklyn and I’m appalled. Question: who is cheerleading this process behind the scenes to march forward? Maybe Cuomo’s getting big money from the auto lobby? Or friends in the bridge building industry? But those folks wouldn’t lose anything by including transit! Maybe it’s time to now go to our state legislators one by one and demand that the project is frozen before it’s too late.

Apa member

Nice work, APA. You should be applauded for putting together such articulate and accurate comments.